Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-15
TUESDAY. 49,. MARCH Is, 1sS
wolseley on Lee.

We republish this morning from Mac.
miiidn's Magazine for March the text OF
General yiscouut WoLsELEY's article on
General ROBERT EDWARD LEE. Extracts
from The article were cabled 10 this coun-
tty - soon IS II appeared in England, and
many OF our northern contemporaries not
only INDUCED In very harsh criticism OF the
raj woLsELEY as a soldier. Any fair.
minded man who reads the article must
admit that it gives no occasion Tor the 10.
diguation and fumings OF our northern
friends. Certainly 1t contains nothing in
the way OF comparison between General
Lk8 and northern generals, or in the way
OF positive criticism Of northern gen.
erals. that is more ontspoken than
by notthern soldiers in the course OF lee
lures on the war delivered in Boston last
year. As 10 specrs at General WoLsELEY q,
amilitary man, he can stand them. The arti.
Gle Is one Of value, and will be read with
intense interest In the South. 1t 1. the
plain, straightforward tribute OF one great
captain to another. Northern prejudice
aud the petty Jealousy Of a little English
military coterie to the contrary notwith-
standing, no man Is more competent than
General woLsELEY to form just estimate
OF General LEES character and genius.
The English generals no carpet knight.
lie has bewn bis way with his sword from
the position OF ensign 10 that he now occu-
pies, and wherever he has led there honor
has been reflected upon British arms. The
Burmese war of 1929. the Crimean
war, the Indian campaign OF 1929, the
Chinese war Of 1850, the Red river expe-
dition, the Ashantee war, the operations in
Lower Egypt, the Nile expedition. all
bear testimony that he has risen by right,
aud not by favoritism. This last-named
expedition, though unsuccessiula as far as re-
lievipg the gallant GORDON was concerned,
was one OF The boldest In plan aud most he
roic in execution OF modern times. The
march from Korti to Metemneh, across the
Babiuda desert, has for endurance and
desperate fighting few parallels. 1t Is the
man who Is crowned with the lustre OF
such achievements that says Robert Ed
WARD LEE was the greatest soldier OF his
age, was cast In grander mould, and
made OF different and OF 1iuer metal than all
other men, and was one OF the only two true
heroes be had ever met. General WoLsE-
LEY's reflections as to the lack OF disci-
pine in the Confederate army and what
corps OF regulars could have accomplished
for either section, his criticism Of General
LEES strict obedience 10 the civil authori-
ties, aud his remarks reg arding subordinate,
were to be expected from man trained in
the school Of The English soldier-eX-
pected particularly from WoLsELEY. To-
deed, In this aforementioned animadversion
he naturally, and PERHAPS unconsciously,
enters defence OF himself. seeing that the
fight made on the WOLsELyY gang" In
England is due to the fact that he has always
grouped the best soldiers on his personal
staff. We repeat that the article is one OF
value. Nay, more; we believe that General
WoIsELEr's estimate Of LEE only fore
shadows what will be in due time the esti.
mate Of Impartial history.